by Brent Wilson


One of the most sought after ways of making a statement about how you are is by using hip hop ringtones. With so many people looking for something unique, something that says that they love hip hop, many cell phone companies have found a unique niche. Offering a variety of hip hop ringtones, these companies have made millions and on top of that, they have pleased millions of hip hop listeners by allowing them to use their favorite hip hop artists on their personal phones. Hip hop ringtones, if you don't have them, well, your behind!

Hip hop is mainly thought to be a music genre of the young American. But, it extends farther than that. The one thing that all hip hop lovers have in common is their need to express themselves. And, because they can relate so well to the music that is hip hop, they want it with them whenever they can have it. And, they want to let the world know that they love hip hop. What better way is there to do this than with hip hop ringtones.

The good news is that there are many cell phone providers out there offering a wide range of hip hop ringtones for people to get and use. The latest and hottest rappers are featured, many times, as promotional giveaways, so to speak. Or, if you don't see your favorite hip hop ringtone, make sure to ask, as they often will still be able to get it for you. And, it is not just the newest stars of hip hop that have this opportunity, but even the older and loved artists as well.

Okay, so how do you go about getting hip hop ringtones? Depending on who you want on that ringtone, you can usually find them right through your cell phone company. Artists like Snoop Dog and 50 Cent are commonly used ringtones but others such as older artists are out there as well. If you don't find the hip hop ringtones that you want available through your provider, check out the web for the latest and greatest in them!

About the Author

Hip Hop Capital is your online hip hop resource. Go to http://hiphopcapital.com and see for yourself why thousands choose Hip Hop Capital.

Labels: awards, hip hop music, hiphop, ring tone

by Tom Janison


Akon is a Senegalese American Hip Hop singer and songwriter. Akon whose real name is Aliaune Thiam was born in 14th October 1981 in Saint Louis Missouri, but his family settled down in New Jersey. It is in this city that Akon encountered name, fame and also faced penalty for breaking the law. Akon was charged and jailed for armed robbery of automobiles and drug distribution charges. He made good use of his time in prison by working on his music. After he was released form prison he wrote many music tracks and songs working in his home. He also recorded some songs as well and his tapes found their way to SRC/Universal and they releases Akon's first album titles Trouble in 2004. This album was a fine blend of West African styled vocals, combined with southern beats, east coast beats as well. Till date Akon has produced about fifty songs to his credit.

Later he released many hit singles like Lonely, Pot of Gold, Ghetto, Locked Up and Belly Dancer. The time that Akon spent in jail has a significant impact on his works and this was very much evident in is songs that were released later on. In his hit single Locked Up his experience of the auto theft and his subsequent jail sentence can be felt. The song reached to the top ten in US and the top five in UK. The song Ghetto became a radio hit when this song was remixed by Green Lantern and verses from other rappers like The Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac. Another single Lonely was released in 2005 and this song reached the top 5 in Billboard Hot 100 and was a chart topper in UK, Australia and Germany. In fact Akon's single became the longest running single at the top running for more then fifteen weeks at a stretch.

In November 2006, Akon released his sophomore debut album Konvicted. This album had collaborations from Eminem, Styles P and Snoop Dog. The album Konvicted has a fine blend of reggae, R and B and Rap that is very true to his African roots and origin. Eminem features in the song Smack That and this is one of the most played songs in the album. Snoop Dog features in the song I Wanna Love You and just as the title suggest this is a love song. Mama Africa is another warm song which features in the album and anyone who has been associated with Africa in anyway will surely love this song. Akon's Konvicted made its debut at number 2 in Billboard 200. The album sold more then 280,000 copies in the first week itself. The album continued to be at the top of the Billboard 200 for more then 25 weeks.

Currently Akon is planning to wok on a movie that will be based on some of the events in his life. He has also lunched his own clothing line titles Konvicted Clothing. His cloth line features denims, t-shirts, hooded shirts, and blazers for both males and females.

About the Author

Tom Janison is a music fanatic. He loves downloading music of all his favorite artists. http://www.ez-tracks.com is one of his favorites sites for free music,Love Songs,Akon ,free MP3 downloads and online music.

Labels: dvd, movie, mp3

by Kati Makat


I Wanna love you is a name suggest is a love song sung by Akon, the Senegalese born American Hip Hop singer. This is the second single by the singer and also features Snoop Dog, I Wanna Love You is a single form his album Konvicted. Akon is a Senegalese born Hip Hop singer and songwriter currently based in United States. This is Akon's first number one single in the billboard and for Snoop this is his second number 1 song at the billboard. I Wanna love you is a censored version of the song I Wanna Fuck, in this song Love has replaced the word Fuck. This song was performed live at the American Music Awards in the year 2006. This song was originally made by Piles; he is an upcoming rapper from Ft Myers in Florida, but later on due to some reasons he was replaced by Snoop Dog to work on the song.

Originally when the song came out under the title I Wanna Fuck you, this generated huge controversy which forced a change in the title. However most of the elements of the songs remained as was in the original, only the world fuck was changed to love to make to deal with the controversy. Other then this certain words in the lyrics that were found to be not fit for younger audiences was also removed from the content. The video of the song is shot very well and it revolves around the character of the song who notices a stripper in a strip bar doing her routine stripping. Both the character and the stripper notice each other, get attracted and wish to be with each other.

Though Piles was the original writer of the song, he was replaced by Akon later on with Snoop Dog. The main reason behind this is the fact that Piles was arrested for illegal possession of gun. Two of his close people were further charged with attempted murder in a shooting that broke out in a Nightclub at Florida. Though Piles was released on bail, but this had a heavy impact on his work and was consequently replaced by Snoop Dog in the song. Akon is one of the most popular artists in the Hip Hop scene today. He released his album Konvicted and this album was made in collaboration with Snoop Dog, Styles P and Eminem. This album which contains the song I Wanna Love You made its debut at number 2 in the Billboard.

The I Wanna Love you and other songs of the album have gone on to become chart topper at many places worldwide. On the whole the album Konvicted is a good blend of music of different types. The album has Hip Hop songs, Rap, R and B and Reggae which reflects his African origin and roots. The album has recorded a sale of more then 2000,000 copies and that too within the first week.

About the Author

Kati Makat loves all kinds of music like rock, hip hop, country, pop, rap and reggae. She refers www.ez-tracks.com as one of her favorite sites for downloading music,free MP3 downloads,online music,I wanna love you.

Labels: popular song, singing course

by Jennifer Jordan


With the recent arrest of Lindsey Lohan, the actress/pop star/professional partier, over Memorial Day weekend, it's easy to look at celebrities and kind of chuckle. Not only was Lohan detained for suspicion of drunk driving (hello....can't she afford a cab?), but she also, in a possible attempt to appear on the television show Cops, fled the scene. It is times like these that we can't help but look back on all the weird arrests of singers who seemingly act as if they are above the law. Yes, insert eye roll here. The following is our top five weird arrests of recent years:

Paris Hilton: The hotel heiress turned singer (we are using the term "singer" very lightly), has had her fair share of legal troubles. After being arrested for drunk driving in 2006, she found herself with a suspended license. But, she's Paris Hilton and she can do whatever she wants, oh so she thought. She was caught in February of 2007 driving 70 MPH in a 35 hour zone without her headlights on (despite the fact it was nighttime). She was eventually sentenced to 45 days in jail, leaving us all to cry...tears of joy. If she thinks filming The Simple Life was hard, wait until she gets done with Prison Life. Maybe Martha Stewart can give her some tips on how to bare the bars.

Snoop Dogg: In April 2006, Snoop Dogg and his entourage were arrested in Heathrow Airport for violent disorder and affray after the members without first class tickets were (gasp!) refused entrance into the first class lounge. In September of the same year, Snoop Dogg was arrested at John Wayne Airport in California after a police baton was found in his carry-on luggage. The following month, Snoop Dog was arrested at Bob Hope Airport in California after a security guard found him with a firearm and Marijuana. Seriously Snoop, in our post-September 11th era, isn't there a more subtle place you can cause trouble than in an airport?

Hugh Grant: Though not a pop star in the common sense of the term, Hugh Grant played one in his last movie and ultimately led his vocals to the soundtrack. This makes him eligible for our list, well this and his ridiculously weird arrest. Grant, in 1995, was arrested for lewd conduct in a public place with a prostitute named Divine Brown. This incident harmed Grant's image, and his boyish appeal, and it gave Divine Brown her five minutes of fame. Perhaps even more perplexing than Grant being arrested for soliciting prostitution is the fact he was dating drop dead gorgeous Elizabeth Hurley at the time. I wouldn't even cheat on Hurley....and I'm female.

R. Kelly: A man with looks, fame, and money may seem like he could get any girl he wanted, but R. Kelly seems to only want the ones in high school. The "I Believe I Can Fly" artist also seems to believe he can date girls underage. In summer of 2002, Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of sex with a minor. These charges were, however, reduced to a lesser charge of soliciting a minor for child pornography. All of this surfaced when a videotape of Kelly having sex with an underage girl was sent to the Chicago Sun times. Though these charges are still pending, allegations against Kelly have continued coming to light. Some people claim that he may have been having sex with minors since 1991, when he was almost a minor himself.

Winona Ryder: So, she's not a singer, but she just might have sang a stirring rendition of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" had she ever ended up in the slammer. Plus, she was once nominated for a Grammy so that makes her crime list-worthy. In 2002, Winona Ryder, the Girl Interrupted star, saw her criminal offense interrupted when she was caught stealing over 5000 dollars worth of stuff from the Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue store. She was ultimately found guilty of felony grand theft and vandalism and sentenced to counseling, probation, drug testing, and over ten thousand dollars in fines. Ryder has, since then, remained out of trouble, and clothing store items that don't belong to her have remained out of her purse.

About the Author

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://iturbocharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture - and a gift for stalking - she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.

Labels: music, singing, song

by Sandra Stammberger


We all know for a fact that Notorious BIG, Tupac, Talib Kwelli, Snoop Dog, Dr.Dre, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot and numerous other hip hop artists make such great songs that every hip hop aficionado really loves.

However, making a great hip hop song isn't just about having good lyrics. No matter how good a song writer you are, you have to remember that you also need the right beat and instrumentals when you want to make your song work. Without the proper hip hop beat and the proper instrumental, you will see that no matter how great your lyrics is, it will never be able to make it to production, much more to get it aired on the radio or TV.

You have to remember that the hip hop beat and instrumental is what catches the ear first before the actual lyrics itself. If the beat or instrumental sounds good, then people will want to know the song and know the lyrics. In fact, you have to admit that there are hip hop songs out there that became famous even when the lyrics don't make any sense. If it sounds good to the ears, then you got it made. Combine good lyrics with a great beat and maybe you'll have a chance to join the ranks of Tupac, Notorious BIG, Ice Cube and other hip hop legends minus the gansta reputation that we all know about.

You can make your own hip hop beat as long as you have the proper equipments and also the talent for it. If you have what it takes to make your own hip hop beat and instrumentals, then you may want to try experimenting with it. In time, you will be able to get the right beat and the right instrumental for the hip hop song you wrote.

Here are some of the techniques that you should remember in order for you to know what to do in order to get the proper beat.

The first technique is called the punch ins. Here, you will be able to get rid of the mistakes you make and record what you want to say over the mistakes. Another great thing about this technique is that it can save you time when you are recording.

You can also try the chopping technique. In this technique, four bars are recorded. This is quite useful especially when you write something that is very difficulty to say or rap, or a line that has the tendency to leave you literally breathless. If your rap doesn't sound right, then chopping is a great technique that can save your music and your lyrics.

Amateur and would be hip hop artists make a mistake of not getting a pop guard. If you see artists recording on a studio with a screen that looks like a sponge or a wire mesh which goes between the mouth and the microphone, then you have an idea on what a pop guard looks like. This simple equipment can save your work as it prevents air to blow on the microphone that is coming from your mouth. This will result in a clear recording when it is time for you to rap.

Making a hip hop beat and instrumental is not that hard at all. You may want to purchase some beats over the internet, or you can try and make it yourself. Just make sure that the beat you purchase or make doesn't sound like any other hip hop song you know. And, you also have to make sure that the beat should complement the lyrics you wrote.

About the Author

**** Do You Want To Know My Secret Site For Downloading Hundreds Of High Quality Beats With No Per Track Fees? Actually Only Few People Know This Site Exists! CLICK HERE or go to: http://tinyurl.com/2p2q3x ****

Labels: hip hop music, instrument, snoopdogg

by Sacreeta Veneficus


Snoop doggy dog where have you been? Round the world, banned-jailed and barred again? Snoop doggy dog, where you gonna go? Back to the studio-Getten ready for another show?

In a word-The Dogg's been Internationally 'Banned'.

Sacreeta here,

Will Redemption mend Snoop Dogg's wings? Or are they forever clipped?

There are too many fans of Snoop Dogg that know his profile to be shocked when they hear the combination of words such as Snoop Dogg, Trouble, and, Airport, but have those fans been expecting that Snoop Dogg's behavior and reckless lifestyle would trip him up sooner or later?

He's the Snoop! We all love him, (me especially :) play his music, and attend his concerts.. but it makes one wonder, does that bad boy of Rap image we have all come to know and accept make him venerable to officials looking to set examples? Or is it something else? Perhaps they expect him to be in character? Is the price of his image at times too high a price? Will applying for Australian Citizenship really solve his overseas problems? Time will tell on that one!

Well, if you are lucky enough to live in America or Canada that is, then you are lucky enough to check out one of Snoop Dogg's concerts.. For the record, he does put on quite the show. But, what about the rest of his fans? Is it fair to them, or are the Custom officials in three different countries singing the wrong tune? Blowing it out of proportion?

Now everyone has their ups and downs. From one point in your life to another, little dark clouds will follow you around, things happen, and sometimes, like apparently in the Snoop's Case, chain reactions can escalate out of control.

========================================= Here's a little recap:

2007-March 12.

Snoop Dog was on a European tour with fellow rapper P Diddy in Sweden, and was reportedly held by Swedish Police for four hours.

Of course the press caught wind of this and reported that the Snoop was arrested yet again, which factually he wasn't! The LA Rapper King of the West Coast's, real name Calvin Broadus, and a female companion were on route to a party, and were stopped by police in Stockholm. A small amount of narcotics were found in the car, but Mr. Brannlund, police spokesman, could not specify which kind of drug and said it was unclear whether it indeed belonged to Snoop Dogg.

Even though Snoop and his female companion were released after being questioned and tested for drugs, which the results had a three week return, no charges were laid, ergo technically they weren't arrested at all.

"He underwent some tests, that will now be sent away," police spokesman Matt Brannlund said. "In two to three weeks, we'll know if he was on something."

"The hip-hop artist could be fined if the tests come back positive," Mr Brannlund added.

============================ 007-By March 27

Snoop Dogg got into some trouble in Sweden, then his UK tour with P Diddy was canceled.

Snoop Dog's fans were in an uproar in the UK, over his tour being cancelled. Not only did it shock his fans.. but the Snoop and P Diddy failed to see that one coming..

A tour spokesman said efforts had been made to "reverse the decision".

P Diddy reportedly said, the news was "disappointing" as they had planned a "special show" for their fans. Everybody has their own laws and their own rules in their own countries, and, you know, we're going to respect them." P Diddy

"I'm lost for words," P Diddy was also recorded saying. "Why did they leave it until a few days before they said: 'No you're not coming in?'"

P Diddy explained none of them had any idea this would happen.

"Once his work permit was granted, everybody felt comfortable to go ahead and put the concert up," P Diddy continued.. "It wasn't like this was the first time we were in discussions with the Home Office. You know there were discussions prior to this - they led us to believe that everything would be approved."

Despite the tour being cancelled P Diddy sincerely stated there were no hard feelings.

(Snoop Dogg was allegedly arrested by police last year in the UK.)

"I know that Snoop is a great guy, a positive guy, and I'm not throwing any stones at the Home Office or at the government. Everybody has their own laws and their own rules in their own countries, and, you know, we're going to respect them," the musician said.

P Diddy preferred not to continue in the tour without Snoop Dogg and promised a free show to his fans.. trying to make it up to them in the UK.

After the loss of tickets, hotel rooms, and hype.. The fans sadly missed out.

2007-April 26.

Snoop Dogg was denied a UK work visa, and now the dark cloud followed him to Australia.

Another group of fans were sadly missing out! Snoop Dogg was banned from the Australian MTV Awards Ceremony. With the factor of Snoop Dogg recently being denied a UK visa, the situation escalated yet again.

Rapper Snoop Dogg has been banned from entering Australia after failing a character test, according to officials. Snoop Dogg (Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr) was scheduled to co-host the MTV Australian Video Music Awards on April 29 2007.

Snoop Dogg's visa was cancelled after pleading no contest to gun and drug charges in the California earlier this year.

"He doesn't seem the sort of bloke we want in this country," Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews was reportedly saying.

Reasoning.

This man has been a member of a Los Angeles gang, and is still associated with it apparently, that's been involved in murder, robberies and drug dealing in the LA area," Mr Andrews added.

When the Snoop was in Australia last February doing a concert tour, he was nabbed by immigration officials for his Visa being two days over the expiration limit, they apparently warned him then, that he could face a ban if he got into anymore trouble. From that date, the Dogg had 28 days to protest the decision.

Donald Etra, the rapper's Los Angeles-based lawyer, said he had not heard from his client about the visa cancellation and could not comment.

========================= What brought Snoop Dogg to that point?

The decision was made due to precedence, by a chain reaction of events that happened to Snoop Dogg within the run of one year.

007-April 12. In LA Snoop Dogg was put on five years probation and 800 hours of community service after pleading no contest to gun and drug charges, which were laid in October 006. The community service is also under the condition that he doesn't spend all of it at the Youth American Football League he runs.

Reuter: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1544216/20061027/snoop_dogg.jhtml?headlines=true

2006-May. On a previous visit to the UK, the rapper and members of his entourage allegedly spent a night in jail after being accused of starting a fight at Heathrow Airport in London, England. Seven police officers received minor injuries, which reportedly started when members of Snoop Dogg's entourage were denied entry into the airline's first-class lounge.

2006-September. Snoop was arrested, while trying to board a plane at the John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, after he allegedly attempted to bring a collapsible 21-inch police baton in Snoop Dogg's laptop case which he was passing through a security checkpoint, on route to the aircraft. He was released on bail of $150,000 after being charged for one felony count of knowingly possessing a deadly weapon. Snoop claimed it was a prop for a movie.

2006-October. The Snoop was charged after he was found in possession of a gun and drugs. The police discovered marijuana in the rapper's car while conflicting over a parking violation at Burbank's Bob Hope airport. Snoop was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm and transportation of a controlled substance in Burbank, California.

2006-November. After an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," Snoop was busted while exiting NBC Studios with possession of a gun, cocaine and marijuana.

================================= Previous reports!

1998-Snoop Dogg publically admitted about his personal use of marijuana, in an attempt to being honest with his fans. What he didn't foresee is that the authorities wouldn't find that heroic, and he has undergone several possession charges since.

1996-Snoop Dogg was named as an accomplice for the murder of Phillip Woldermarian, an alleged street gang member who was shot from the vehicle that the Snoop happened to be in at the time of the incident. Snoop Dogg's bodyguard, McKinley Lee, was accused of being the shooter, however, Snoop Dogg's body guard was acquitted of the murder charge.

1993-Snoop Dogg's solo album "Doggystyle" sold over 5 million copies. The rising star was charged with possession of a firearm caught at a traffic stop, which he plea bargained and ended up with three years' probation, and a $1,000 fine and obligated to make public service announcements denouncing violence.

1990-Starting his way in the business, Snoop Dogg was convicted of a felony narcotics possession charge, and was allegedly selling cocaine.

===================================== Okay, so what does this boil down to?

I dunno folks, maybe if you want to make your way in the business, and stay on top if you are lucky enough to get there, remember your actions, and personal choices do have a direct effect on your career! Time and time again we see people's career's destroyed due to reckless lifestyles and behavior, they seem to forget that being in the public eye also means that you also should uphold moral obligations to your fans. What you do today will stay with you all the days of your career, and no one is above the law.

Enjoy the time you have in this business, but remember, it is a business and should be treated as such, and once you start to succeed, don't lose sight of why you started in the first place!

Good luck,

That's a wrap

Sacreeta

About the Author

Actor/Singer/Columist/Novelist

Labels: modern music, world music

by ken wilson


Everyone has listened, at least once, a hip hop song and, whether it is among your favorite genres or not, you cannot deny that hip hop and rap have a lot of fans. The fact that many hip hop artists are famous worldwide and their songs are in the top charts proves there are many hip hop listeners. Ever since it birth, in the 1970s in New York City, this new kind of music has gained popularity. The roots of underground hip hop go back to the West African music. “Griots” are African traveling singers and poets, whose style resembles today’s hip hop. The block parties, very common in the New York neighborhood Bronx, helped to the development of rap music. These parties were accompanied by funk and soul music. Then, the DJs realized that they could isolate the percussion break of these songs and this was the beginning of hip hop’s history.

Although confusion between them is often made, hip hop and rap are technically not the same thing. Rap is a component of hip hop music, a vocal style in which the performer makes rhymes to the beats. However, hip hop also includes backing beats being performed by a turntable DJ. Many people don’t know that at the beginning of underground hip hop, the MC didn’t have the leading role. In fact, his job was to introduce the DJ and his music and entertain people between the songs. Of course, the situation has changed a lot since then, as today there are lots of popular MCs and hip hop couldn’t be imagined without the rapping or emceeing part.

Although hip hop and rap was born and developed in the USA, after the 1980s, it began to spread into the whole world. Today, countries like Germany, Turkey, France, and Italy have given internationally known underground hip hop artists. A few examples would be Die Fantastichen Vier (Germany), the Breton band Manau and MC Solaar (France), Cartel (Turkey). However, the United States have kept their monopoly on hip hop music, as the overwhelming majority of the worldwide famous rappers live here: Dr. Dre, Puff Daddy, Eminem, Snoop Dog, Busta Rhymes, The Wu-Tang Clan, Nelly, 50 Cent and the list could go on.

Of course, underground hip hop has changed since the 1970s; styles have been diversified. Rapcore (a fusion between hip hop and heavy metal) is now popular, with famous representatives like Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. Another interesting combination is jazz rap, which begun with De La Soul and Gang Starr. Although it hasn’t reached mainstream success, alternative hip hop has given some famous artists such as The Roots and Mos Def. Without any doubt, the most successful form of hip hop and rap has been gangsta rap, “invented” by Dr. Dre in 1992.This is the style that most of the hip-hopers embrace today.

All in all, whether you love it or despise it, underground hip hop is something you can’t ignore. Millions of people from all over the world listen to hip hop and rap. Some of them are Afro-American males, but that is not a rule. Hip hop is also popular in Scandinavian countries, like Denmark and Swedish and continues to spread into new lands, like Russia, Japan and China. The ghetto music has really conquered the world.

About the Author

Many people listen to hip hop and rap. It is enough to look at the top charts in USA and Europe â€" you will find many hip hop melodies. Besides from underground hip hop, other styles have emerged, like rapcore, a fusion between rock and rap, which has also gained many fans.

Labels: dvd, hip hop, mp3, popular music

by Derek B


The history of hip hop is replete with controversy. Fueled by money, fierce rivalries have been waged publicly by some of the most successful musical artists in the last 25 years. Unlike other music genres, hip hop feuds have resulted in the death of artists marking it a blood sport of sorts.

The origins of hip hop rivalry in general can be found in the nature of rappers themselves as they tend to do the utmost to best each other. Rappers are like boxers in their persistence to replace the top guy. Early in the 1990's Puffy Combs created Bad Boy records which met with great success as it became the darling of the hip hop industry. Based on the east coast, Bad Boy featured local artists bringing them national exposure.

Meanwhile a movement was happening on the west coast. Rappers like N.W.A and Ice Cube innovated a new hardcore style of music deemed "gangsta rap." The release of the "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre established west coast music squarely on the hip hop scene. Artist like Snoop Dog and Warren G, bracelets gleaming and chains hanging arrived hungry for the spotlight. These two commercial forces eventually collided with rappers hurling insults and threats at one another on record after record. Rappers like Mobb Deep, Jay-Z and Nas all participated. The tension culminated as two titans of hip hop, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, went to war in what would come to be the most notorious of hip hop rivalries. Biggie was Bad Boy's most successful rapper. Highly talented Biggie commanded respect in the hip hop industry for his rhyming skills. His counterpart on the west coast, Tupac was respected as well for his aggressive yet poetic rhymes reflecting on the harsh realities of life. After joining forces with the infamous DeathRow record executive Suge Knight, Tupac began attacking Puffy Combs and Biggie labeling them soft. What ensued was a tit for tat series of verbal insults and accusations that ended with the death of both Tupac and Biggie within a six month span. This rivalry created so much interest that both DeathRow records and Bad Boy records benefited greatly through increased record sales. The lesson was hip hop controversy sells. Since then there have been numerous attempts by artist to replicate the Tupac vs. Biggie scenario.

50 Cent, the top guy in the rap game today, has been involved in a few rivalries as well. He was in a beef with west coast rapper The Game over charges of disrespect. In the midst of this battle a shootout occurred between the respective factions. It was ended in a public meeting where bother rappers stood together shaking hands. As a result they garnered worldwide publicity which translated into successful album sales for both artists.

50 cent also instigated a beef with another great artist of our recent generation, Kanye West. He boldly stated that he would outsell West or retire from rap. Much attention was attracted and both albums were hits. There have been recent rivalries involving some of the top hip hop artist including Jay-Z, Nas and LL Cool J.

Rivalry creates drama and controversy which translates to sales. Artists today have continued to manipulate the media by creating drama with other artists but have learned when to pull back without drawing blood. The commercial success of these controversial rappers proves definitively that these tactics are a winning formula which means for the consuming public a continuation of rap rivalries on demand.

About the Author

Author Derek B. currently works in the hip hop jewelry industry. Go to KingIce.com to see more information about hip hop jewelry.

Labels: hip hop music, snoop dog